Blending Tradition and Community: St. John's, Montgomery's Remembrance Sunday Offers Space for Gratitude, Remembrance, and Healing

Each year, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Montgomery transforms its Labyrinth Garden and hearts with a deeply meaningful Remembrance Sunday, held near Veterans Day, to honor service members and their families. Known affectionately by some as “Poppy Sunday,” the event has grown into a powerful and cherished moment of reflection and gratitude for many parishioners.

For the Rev. Dr. Duncan Johnston, rector of SJEC, this occasion is significant. Originally from near London, England, and ordained in the Church of England, Duncan grew up with Remembrance Sunday as an important day of remembrance and healing.

Parishioner Will Hill Tankersley noted, “We’ve sought to replicate Remembrance Sunday at St. John’s, where so many of guests, Civil Rights pilgrims, current and former parishioners have served in the military or have family members who have served—or often, both.”

This year’s observance, held on Sunday, November 10, featured the installation of hundreds of handmade ceramic poppies from the Alabama Poppy Project, an initiative created by a local artist whose late son’s military service inspired the project. Attendees also received Veterans of Foreign Wars paper lapel poppies, connecting them to a long-standing tradition of remembrance.

At the heart of the observance was a profoundly moving liturgy of remembrance and healing written by Rev. Dr. Duncan Johnston. With its blend of solemnity and hope, the service brought together powerful symbols, prayers, and moments of silence, offering a time to honor fallen service members and support those who continue to carry their memories.

Through Remembrance Sunday, SJEC continues to blend tradition and community, providing a space for gratitude, reflection, and healing.

Photo credit: Ms. Emily Wise (SJEC parishioner and former Vestry member)

The writer is the Director of Communications. She can be reached at nana@dioala.org